I wouldn't call it amazing, but it's enjoyable television. A problem for me is that I know Spartacus isn't going to die which takes away a lot of the tension. Also found the unbeaten champion surprisingly easy to beat. Still, looking forward to tonights episode.

My impression was that the champion didn't start till after Spartacus and Crixus already thought they had defeated him. After which Crixus alone easily got a strike in (which their trainer, the only man to survive couldn't) and a little glare allowed Spartacus to finish him off. Of course the champion wasn't in his prime any more, but still.

To me, the episode seemed to be the antithesis of the 3rd episode. The 3rd being about the legends, hyping these people up with their reputation and then having Spartacus dismiss them off hand only to be bitch slapped by them, where this episode both Theocales and Crixus both seemed enthused by their own hype, where Spartacus was the level man who was well aware how dangerous the entire situation was and thus won overall because it wasn't about glory, but survival.

As for him going down quick, I think that's just part and parcel, most of the gladiatorial fights seemed to be short, then again all it takes is one mistake and it could be death for the fighters, they worked as a unit to get the first cut in, that was pretty much the pivotal point, and each cut after clearly did serious damage, when Theocales finally went for it he was so hurt that he couldn't best Spartacus who was playing the defence, until Crixus gave Spartacus the advantage.

I think the show over all is far underrated. Sure the actual dialogue is fairly shonky but the stories are well told in the presentation and it has a lot more depth than most people credit it with because all they want to see is the gore and nudity and thus label it as a show about cheap thrills.

RMXtreme wrote:
I wouldn't call it amazing, but it's enjoyable television. A problem for me is that I know Spartacus isn't going to die which takes away a lot of the tension. Also found the unbeaten champion surprisingly easy to beat. Still, looking forward to tonights episode.

This really. Although I was jumping around like an absolute nutjob when Spartacus went one on one against him. Never been so happy to see someone's head seperated from his body.

Watched the latest episode last night and I think this was the first one I've properly enjoyed, rather than just watched and marvelled at how much nudity and violence there was in it. Though it's still a little hard to take seriously when you have to watch a naked John Hannah rutting away at a slave girl while chatting to Lucy Lawless.

Still, nice orgy scene. Is this show actually being broadcast in America? It's basically porn.

Yeah, it's on a cable network though, as is Dexter, and they tend to have graphic violence and nudity in their shows.

The latest episode was pretty great. Each episode does get better and this one was very well written, I had absolutely no idea what Battiatus was planning till I saw it his is face. The man is a fucking evil genius, Machiavellian past even as the man himself would be. I was surprised they'd resolve the big story so quickly though, I think the end of the season is going to be a blood bath in the ludus personally. It's already been picked up for a second season anyway, so it'll be interesting to see how the show evolves. Cable shows tend to change a lot more each season than a network show does, like dexter I mean, each season is pretty different in tone from each other and I think this will follow that trend.

It's definitely got better in the last 2 episodes but the formula hasn't drastically changed to be honest. If you weren't keen to start with I can't see your mind being swayed all that much by the new episodes.

Watched the first 2 last night. As others have said, it is basically porn - sexual and violence porn. The rotoscoped / cartoon nature of it doesn't stop this. My inner 14-year old boy rejoiced throughout. And I got to see Lucy Lawless bringing herself off with help from a slave girl. This could possibly be among the most entertaining tv rubbish I have ever witnessed.

Each fight scene does remind me of the director in Scott of the Antarctic (Monty Python) though

Schlick: Now this afternoon we're going to shoot the scene where Scott gets off the boat on to the ice floe and he sees the lion and he fights it and kills it and the blood goes pssssssssshhh in slow motion.

Still can't get past the first half of the first episode of this... started ok but the acting and everything else just seems a bit shit. It's all shit. Don't think I got as far as any "proper" sex scenes, life is too short

So I'm up to date with this now. As other people have alluded to - it's basically a big pot of violence, blood, gore, swearing, ripped men, naked women, violence, swanky slo-mo caremawork, CGI, breasts, sex, and the odd bit of cock.

Polished off episodes 4 & 5 last night. Wow. Who would ever have thought John Hannah capable of such dramatic evil? The Pit fights in 4 were really brutal, but 5 was probably the best episode yet. Excellent ending, I wonder where it goes now?